Take up laminate flooring so you can reuse it

Lift click-lock laminate in order, from skirting to subfloor, so every board stays undamaged and reusable.

LF-01Clear the room and set up a work areaMove out furniture and rugs so you have full access to the floor. Lay a dust sheet in a corner where you can stack lifted boards flat. Keep a clear path to the door so you're not carrying boards over the area you're still working on.

1 each · Dust sheet

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LF-02Check whether the laminate is click-lock or gluedMost laminate laid since the 2000s is a floating click-lock floor with no glue, sitting on a thin foam underlay. Lift a corner near a doorway or under a radiator pipe to check — if the edges show tongue-and-groove clips and no adhesive residue, it's click-lock. If you see glue in the joints, the boards will very likely break when lifted, so treat any that come up cleanly as a bonus rather than expecting to reuse the whole floor.

LF-03Remove the skirting or scotia trimLaminate is usually tucked under the skirting board or held by a thin scotia (beading) strip pinned to the skirting, not the floor. Prise the scotia off first with a flat bar — it's cheap, so don't worry about damaging it. If the boards run under the skirting itself, gently ease the skirting away from the wall with the flat bar, number each length on the back in order as you go, so it goes back in the same place.

1 each · Flat pry bar

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1 roll · Masking tape

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LF-04Find the starting row and its directionLaminate is fitted row by row, and the last row laid is the easiest to lift first. Look for the row nearest a wall with the smallest cut boards, or check for a row that looks slightly different in width — that's often the finishing row. Note which way the boards angle down to click together, as you'll lift each row by working against that angle.

LF-05Lift the first boardSlide the flat bar under the short end of the starting board, near the wall, and lever up gently. Click-lock boards separate at the joint with a light upward pull once the end is free — don't force it sideways, as this can snap the locking tongue. Once the first board is out, the rest of the row usually lifts by hand.

LF-06Work along each row, in orderLift each board by angling it up along its long edge, the same way it was clicked down during fitting. Number the back of each board with masking tape and a marker as you go, in the order it comes up, so you can relay the floor the same way later. Stack the boards flat in your work area rather than on edge, to avoid warping.

1 each · Marker pen

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1 roll · Masking tape

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LF-07Roll up the underlayOnce all the boards in a section are up, lift the foam underlay underneath. It usually comes away in long strips — roll it as you go rather than folding it, to keep it flat for reuse if it's still in good condition. Thin foam underlay that's brittle, torn or flattened is cheap to replace, so don't force damaged underlay to be reused.

2 each · Bin bags

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LF-08Check the subfloor for staples, nails or old adhesiveRun a hand carefully over the subfloor and check the edges for any staples or tacks left from underlay or a previous floor covering. Pull these out with pliers or tap them flat with a hammer so they don't catch anyone walking on the bare subfloor. Sweep the whole area before doing anything else with the room.

1 each · Pliers

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1 each · Claw hammer

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LF-09Stack and store the boards for reuseStack the numbered boards flat, in their lifted order, somewhere dry and out of direct sun — a garage or spare room is fine, but not outside. Keep them away from radiators or damp floors, as laminate can warp or swell if stored badly. If you won't be relaying them for a while, wrap the stack loosely in a dust sheet or plastic to keep dust and damp off.

LF-10Refit skirting and tidy upIf you removed skirting boards, put them back using their original numbering, fixed the same way they came off. Vacuum the room thoroughly to pick up dust, foam crumbs and any small staples missed earlier. Bag up any underlay or trim you're not keeping for the bin.

2 each · Bin bags

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